Don't be Afraid to Die, Cause to Die Would be an Awfully Big Adventure
by momocandy2
Summary: Growing up a Pweasley sounded harder than it was. Expectations aren't hard to meet when every student at Hogwarts already treats you like a member of the royal family. Everything is right in the world for 5th year cousins Victoire, James and Rose. It'll be another great year with the family. Until two little brothers arrive to be sorted, and family tradition flies out the window.


**This still needs to be edited, both for some grammar and content, but I've been on this site since 2008 and I've posted nothing. So here we are. I have more written but this seemed like a good place to end a chapter. Obvi this is my first fic that I've posted and I'm not gonna write the bull like "bless be kind, I'm a novice." There are probably 1,000,000 stories just like this one but I like these stories, and I hope you too.**

 **Happy reading**

 **Momo**

Sleeping on the train could be difficult if the compartment one is occupying is packed with people. Victoire Weasley was fast asleep, her face pressed against the window of the train. Her hot breathe fogged up the glass as the Hogwarts Express flew down the tracks.

The train came upon a slight dip in the hill causing the compartment to bounce. Victoire's head bumped forward and smacked the glass, jolting her awake.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, peeling her cheek from the window.

She rubbed her jaw and looked around the compartment. Rose Weasley, Victoire's best friend and beloved cousin was sprawled across the seats opposite of her. Rose had a book propped up against the arm rest, staring intently at the pages as she laid on her stomach reading. Rose didn't even seem to notice that Victoire had said anything.

Giggling came from the compartment floor where two eleven year old boys sat swapping cards. Victoire swiped her foot at the boy closest to her.

"Tori, stop!" yelled the boy.

She kicked again.

"Quit it!" he yelled.

"Oh you better get used to it kid, if you get sorted into Gryffindor you will never see the end of this constant torture," Victoire replied.

"She's right," said a male voice from the compartment door, "Over 80% of the Pweasleys are in that house. You end up there and you'll never sleep with both eyes closed."

"Go away James," mumbled Rose from behind her book, "we are trying to give the boys a _pleasant_ first train ride experience."

"No but seriously," James continued, tapping the other boy on the floor with his shoe, "You better get Gryffindor."

Little Albus Potter rolled his eyes at his older brother.

"Leave him alone," Victoire said, "They're nervous enough. Louis slept in Mom and Dad's room last night because he was just so scared about his first day."

"Oh my god, Tori, shut up!" Louis replied, "I hope I don't get into Gryffindor so I don't have to hang out with you!"

"My Dad said you can choose if you want," Albus said.

"Dad said what?" James asked.

"He said you can choose."

"He only said that to make you feel better."

"No he didn't! He said you can ask the hat if you want to be in a certain house. He said the hat wanted him in Slytherin but he told it he didn't want to."

"Bullshit, Al"

"It isn't bullshit, its true!"

"Al, watch your mouth!" Rose intervened, still hidden behind her book.

"I'm allowed to say stuff now, I'm in school now," Al retorted.

The older occupants of the compartment snorted.

"Uncle Harry says some weird shit, I'm never quite sure what he says is actually true and what isn't," Rose said, finally setting down her book.

"Like father, like son!" James boosted.

"James, everything you say is a lie," Victoire said, standing to reach into the shelves above their seats.

She pulled out her black and red Gryffindor robes and uniform and laid them down on the chair. She reached into the two remaining bags next to her and pulled out two plain black robes, both very small and very new.

"Go change guys, if I know anything after four years we should be there pretty soon," Victoire said.

Albus and Louis stood up from the floor to grab their uniforms.

"Race you to the little boys room, snake heads!" James said, running from the compartment.

The two boys raced after him, leaving the two 5th year girls alone. Rose reached up to her bags and pulled her uniform free.

"Ah, time to return to ties, sweater vests and pleated skirts," Rose said.

Victoire crossed the compartment and pulled the doors closed, drawing the curtains to give them privacy.

* * *

The Pweasleys filed into the Great Hall with the rest of the student population of Hogwarts. Victoire and Rose linked arms as they skipped over to the Gryffindor table. James followed them soon after parting ways with Hugo and Dominque who wandered over toward their spots at the Ravenclaw table.

James plopped down in the seat next to Victoire and nudged her arm.

"What?" she asked.

"Tall, blue, and hairy is staring at you. Your 3 o'clock." Victoire stole a glance and found blue haired Teddy Lupin hovering around the entrance to the Great Hall. She didn't remember seeing him on the train or on the carriage ride to the castle. He usually sat with the family. She wondered why he hadn't joined them this year.

His eyes made contact with hers and they both looked away suddenly, blushing. Victoire rubbed at her cheeks, why was she blushing? She stole another look and watched as Teddy power-walked to his space at the Ravenclaw table, a few seats away from Hugo and Dominque. The two Weasleys looked over at the Gryffindors, as if to say "What is his problem?"

The Gryffndors shrugged.

The matter was soon forgotten as music suddenly filled the hall and Neville Longbottom appeared at the doors.

"Settle down everyone and brighten those welcoming smiles. The first years are about to come in, try not to scare them too much, they are very fragile."

"Neville means so well every year but I don't think he seems to realize that by pointing out how fragile the hoard of 11 year olds are will only makes the Slytherins target them more," James said.

Suddenly the room became very quiet as Neville returned, a wide smile on his face, followed by a single file line of terrified looking children.

The first years looked from face to face throughout the hall. With each face they laid eyes on they became more and more terrified. Only a few remained calm. Albus and Louis were not part of those few.

The Pweasleys watched as the first years lined the stage and Neville began calling names to the stoll.

Waiting for a new family member to be sorted was agonizing for the Pweasleys. Every time they wondered why they couldn't have been born into a family whose last name began with and "A".

Finally, Neville called the name.

"Potter, Albus."

Al approached the stoll, his hands twitching at his sides. Neville patted Albus's shoulder as he placed the sorting hat on Albus's head.

Victoire and rest of her family sat in suspense to hear the verdict. It seemed to be taking forever. With each passing second Albus's hand seems to grip the edge of the stoll tighter and tighter. This was taking too long.

"Come on, just say it already," James whispered.

Suddenly Albus's spine aligned, he sat rode straight on his seat as the hat began to move. Its mouth opened wide as it began to speak.

"SLYTHERIN" it yelled.

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table. They clapped and high fived each other, grins spread across their faces as the Potter boy stood slowly from his place on the stage.

Albus didn't move. His eyes glanced over toward the Gryffindor table where his brother was now standing.

Victoire pulled at James' sleeve, "Sit down! Sit down right now, you're gonna scare him!"

But James remained standing, just staring at his brother, a blank expression on his face.

Neville took Albus gently by the arm and guided him toward the Slytherin table. Albus never took his eyes off James as he took a seat.

Victoire grabbed James by the waist and used all her weight to yank him back down to his seat.

"He can't stay there," James started mumbling.

"He has too," Victoire said, "He had no control over where he was placed. If the hat thinks he will do well in Slytherin than he will! We have to trust it."

"Trust it? Are you serious? That rag just put my little brother in a house full of evil little pricks who are probably going to beat him senseless nightly. No. No, I won't stand for this, something has to be done. He can't stay with them. Dad will do something, he'll probably hear about it by tonight and he will be here first thing tomorrow to fix it."

"You know there isn't anything he can do,"

"Shut up, of course there is. He can't be with them, it isn't right."

"But the hat…"

"Fuck the hat Tori! Al belongs here with us, that's how it works. That is how being a Potter works. We go to Gryffindor and nowhere else. Dad will fix it."

James looked away from Victoire, clearly done speaking about the subject. Victoire looked over at Rose who only shook her head. Another Gryffindor sitting across from the three fifth years snapped at them, "Hey, Tor, your brother just got called."

They looked up to see Louis sitting on the stool with the large hat on his head. He seemed more relaxed sitting there than he had standing in line. After watching Albus get sorted in Slytherin, Victoire couldn't even begin to imagine what she would do if Louis got sorted anywhere else but Gryff-

"HUFFLEPUFF"

"What!" Victoire exclaimed, slapping a hand to her mouth when she realized she had spoken out loud.

Neville took the hat off Louis' head to reveal the little boy grinning from ear to ear. Victoire wasn't sure how react to her brother running excitedly toward a house not occupied by any member of the family. No one there to help him when he's in trouble, no one there to comfort him when he is sad. No one. She wanted to run to him and drag him across the hall and glue him to a seat at her table. All the blood drained from her face as she tried to come to terms with her last sibling being sorted into another house that wasn't hers. First Dominque, now Louis. But at least Dom had Hugo and Teddy. Louis had no one. Now she understood why James had stood up.

James and Victoire sat in silence. Not looking at anyone else at the table as they ate their dinner. Rose tried to start conversation with them but they each ignored her. They were too lost in their thoughts.

* * *

"First years, follow me!" yelled the four prefects from each house chosen to show the newly sorted students to their new homes. Packs of eleven year olds stood from their seats, wood scratching against stone floor as they rose. James and Victoire finally looked up from their plates at the sound.

"I'll be right back," James and Victoire said in unison.

"Oh hell no you're not!" Rose exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

She stood in front of the two teenagers, her arms outstretched like a blockade. Rose was very tiny, barely reaching five feet tall, a slim figure that disappeared in even the smallest sized robes. She was hardly threatening at all, a strong gust of wind could send her tumbling to the ground. The only shocking thing about her was the bright red strands of curly hair on her head that stood out so magnificently in crowds of students wearing all black. She couldn't hold back a ten pound puppy, but here she stood holding back her two able bodied cousins.

"You will embarrass them," she said, trying to puff out her chest.

"Rose, I will snap you like a twig," James said, taking a step toward her.

"What is going on here?" said a voice behind James.

The trio turned to find Neville standing behind them.

"Neville, thank god, you have to do something. You have to help me," James started pleading.

"James, how many times do I have to tell you that it is Professor Longbottom when you are here."

"Dude, I do not care right now, okay? Al just got missorted. That's a word right? Is that possible? Cause if it isn't possible, it is now. There has been a mistake and it must be fixed."

"That is not a word, and no it is not possible. Albus was sorted into Slytherin and there is nothing that can be done to change it. As much as I might not be able to see it, the hat believes that he will do good there."

"Nev, you can't be serious."

"I'm quite serious about addressing me formally while we are at school, James. Now please, go to your dormitories and please go to sleep."

James turned back toward the retreating first years. About to step out the door with the rest of Slytherin house stood Albus, looking more uncertain now than frightened as he had before. He looked back at his family, arguing with Neville. His eyes widened.

"Look at the kid! Neville, he can't go with them!" James shouted, "Albus! Albus come over here!"

"James, stop that!" Rose shouted back.

Albus was pushed through the doors by the crowd gathering, desperately trying to make it out of the Great Hall at rapid speed.

James went to push is way through the crowd toward Albus. Just as he was about to shove a short second year to the side he found himself glued to the floor. He tried to pull his feet from the ground but found that they had seemingly melded together with the stone.

"The hell?" he said in confusion, yanking at his feet.

"That will be enough of that, Mr. Potter," said a soft voice from behind him.

James groaned.

"Headmistress, please. You can't ask me to stand here and watch my brother be dragged off to his doom."

"I don't, Mr. Potter," Headmistress McGonnagal said, "He is not being 'dragged off to his doom' he will be just fine. He is more afraid of you than he is of his new house mates."

"Excuse me?" James said. He tried to turn to face the headmistress but found himself still stuck to the floor.

"Notice he only looked frightened when he looks at you. He knows his father will accept his placement, as will his mother, his sister, his cousins, all of them. But you? He knows you will never accept him now."

"That isn't true, miss."

"Isn't it?" she said, folding her hands together.

Mcgonnagal walked quietly passed the trio and Neville, James' feet pulling away from the ground as she past.

"Have a pleasant first night back children," she said without turning back.

Victoire slowly approached James who looked crushed, just as the Hufflepuffs passed through the doors. Louis turned back to look at his sister. He gave her a little wave and an apologetic smile. He didn't look away until Victoire gave him the same. She kept waving even after he filed out of the hall with his house mates.

"Come on James, let's just go to bed. You'll probably feel better about all this after you've slept on it," Rose said.

"Like hell," James replied.

He stormed out of the hall, now almost empty, punching the doors as he left.

"He's gonna be fun this year," Rose said.

"I just can't believe it though," Victoire said, "Louis looked so excited when he got sorted. I mean, I know he didn't want to be in the same house as me, but I didn't think he meant it that harshly."

"I doubt that is what he meant, Tor. Maybe he just doesn't feel like Gryffindor material, there is nothing wrong with that."

"No, there isn't. But I just hoped, at least one of my siblings would be in the same house as me."

"Really Tori?" Neville said, walking up beside them. The two girls had almost forgotten he was there.

"You're acting like you don't have four cousins in your house," Neville continued, "James, Rose, Fred and Roxanne are all in your house. It isn't like you are alone."

"I know, but that's just the thing. Louis is going to be all by himself there. When Dominque got sorted, it hurt but I knew she would be safe with Teddy and Hugo."

"No I get it," Rose chimmed in, "When Hugo got Ravenclaw I was a little disappointed but Teddy always talked about how great that house is so I figured he'd be okay. We've never had someone in the family in Hufflepuff. This is new territory for us I guess, we don't know what to expect for him."

"Hufflepuff are known for being overwhelmingly friendly, Louis will be fine there, I promise you. It may not be what you are all used to but he will be happy with them," Neville said.

"What about Albus though?" Victoire asked.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Neville replied.

The two girls walked out of the Great Hall with Neville, waving goodbye to him as they ascended the stairs toward the staircases and Neville headed down a corridor toward his office in the green houses. The girls walked in silence as they got closer and closer to the Gryffindor tower. They approached the Fat Lady's portrait absentmindedly as she sang out, "Password?"

"Shit," Rose said.

They had never been given the new password.

"Can't you give us some leeway for the first day? We missed the town meeting," Victoire said.

"Sorry ladies, no can do," the lady replied.

"Come on, you know us! We aren't intruders, just let us in, it's been an eventful day," Rose said.

"Sorry. I can't permit that."

"Listen here you fat whale," Rose said, raising a fist.

"That is no way to talk to a lady," said a voice coming from a suit of armor farther down the corridor.

"Who the hell is that?" Rose shouted toward the voice.

Bright blonde hair was the first thing the girls noticed about the boy who stepped out from behind the shining armor. The second thing they noticed was the forest green lining of his robes.

"If you're looking for some kind of first day duel, we aren't exactly in the mood," Rose said.

The Slytherin raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm not here to start anything, I just don't really like the dungeons, and sometimes I sneak out. Security is pretty low on the first night so I usually stake out a new place to hide now."

"So you chose to hide right outside of the entrance to our common room? Likely story," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Why don't you like the dungeons?" Victoire asked.

"I honestly didn't know this was the entrance to your common room till you all burst into the corridor like a mob a few minutes ago. I don't pay much attention to the other houses, so I wouldn't know. And to answer your question, the dungeons can get a bit sticky in the early months. And in the winter they freeze. The ceiling drips. There's no view. And, personally, I'm not a big fan of the colour green."

"Well, whatever," Rose huffed, "Go wherever you want. But you can't stay here. Slither away snake."

"You don't want me to go away, you need me."

"Pardon?"

"The password, I heard it."

"Oh really?" Rose said, crossing her arms, "Even if we believed you, you would want something in return."

"Why would I just give you such vital information? I may not like the place, but I'm still a Slytherin."

"So what do you want?" Victoire asked.

"Tori! Don't fraternize with the enemy!" Rose yelled.

"Rose, I want to sleep. As appealing as these stone floors might be, I prefer a bed. What do you want in exchange for the password?"

"Something red."

"Something red?"

"Yes, red. Anything. A blanket, or a jacket, a scarf, a glove, a hair tie, anything. Just something that isn't black or green."

"You can have something red, we've got loads of red. Hell my hair is red," said Rose.

"I'll take that too, if you're offering,"

"My hair?"

"Well I meant you. Not you in a creepy way though, like tie you up in my basement and keep you as a pet. More like, well, nevermind," the Slytherin said blushing.

"What's your name?" Victoire asked.

"Scorpius," the boy replied.

"Scorpius? I've never heard of you. What's your last name?" Rose asked.

"I don't think you want to know that,"

"No we really do,"

"Malfoy. I'm Scorpius Malfoy."

Rose's expression went from annoyed to furious.

"Will you kindly evacuate our corridor you swine. I've had enough of this. Go back to your snake hole!"

"Rose, honestly," Victoire said, "Scorpius, I can't give you anything red if we can't get into the common room,"

"How will I know that you'll come back with it then?"

"I guess you'll just have to trust us," Victoire said, looking over at Rose, "Well, trust me."

"Tell you what, in exchange for you actually coming back and giving me my reward, I'll do you another favor."

"And what would that be?"

"I'll look out for your cousin."

Rose uncrossed her arms.

"Bring me back something red and I promise, I'll look after Albus. Kids can be mean, but they are meaner in Slytherin. I can only imagine having a name like Potter isn't going to make matters any better."

"Deal," Victoire said, extending her hand out to Scorpius. Just as Rose smacked it away.

"Now wait a second," Rose said.

"Rose, this is exactly what James needs. An inside man. If he can't be there to look after Al, we'll get the next best thing."

"And why would you entrust the safety of our cousin with this stranger. This stranger who is a _Malfoy_!"

"Do you have any friends in Slytherin, Rose?" Victoire said.

"Well…..no."

"Neither do any other Pweasleys. So I don't see the harm in the deal. Besides, all he wants is something red."

"Pweasleys?" Scorpius said, curious.

"It's a mesh of the two last names, Potter and We-"

Rose smacked Victoire before she couldn't finish explaining.

"Password please," Rose said.

"Tapeworm," Scorpius said.

"Excuse you?" Rose said.

"No, that's the password."

"Tapeworm? Seriously? They really have run out of ideas, haven't they?"

Victoire turned to face the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she said.

"Tapeworm," Victoire started in a strong voice.

"Welcome back!" the Fat Lady said, swinging the portrait open to reveal a tunnel leading to the Gryffindor common room.

Rose bolted through the tunnel, not even a farewell toward their savior. Victoire turned back to him.

"Something red, coming right up."

Victoire entered the common room to find a crowd of Gryffindors draped across the plush sofas and chairs. Some had resorted to spreading out on the floor for lack of sitting room. Roxanne Weasley sat on a stone bench next to the fireplace. She looked up at Victoire and waved her over.

Victoire found the fireplace to be a giant ugly black hole during the first few weeks back at Hogwarts. It was too hot in the towers at the beginning of September to light a fire. Once autumn settled on the castle a blazing fire roared to life and stayed until the last few days of classes. Until then, it remained a burned out hole in the wall filled with ash and half burnt logs. Victoire found it ominous.

She wouldn't sit with Roxanne.

"What took you and Rosie so long? I saw James come storming in here like a bat out of hell a few minutes ago. You two piss him off already?" Roxanne asked.

"I always forget that you and Fred find the welcome back feast irrelevant and never attend," Victoire replied.

"It is not that we find it irrelevant it is just that we don't feel like waiting around for another wild pack of first years to get sorted. It is the same thing every year. I just will never understand why we need to holler and cheer every time a kid gets sorted into our house. Like, what does everyone think? We aren't going to get any new blood? It is a pointless ritual, and I have individually chosen not to take part in it."

"Also we don't like how long McG makes us wait for food," Fred yelled from across the room.

"Well you guys missed a lot this year," Victoire said.

"What could we have possibly missed," Roxanne asked, a sarcastic smirk on her face.

"Louis. Albus. Your cousins maybe."

"Oh yeah! Where are those little rascals? I didn't see them come in,"

"That's because they are off with their houses. In Slytherin and Hufflepuff,"

"WHAT!" Fred and Roxanne said in unison.

"Yup. Louis is apparently just thrilled to be a tree hugging badger and Albus has gone and made Pweasley history and gotten himself sorted into the snake hole."

"Wow," Fred said, running his hands across his face, "No wonder James looked so upset."

"Yeah. He'll get over it. Eventually," Victoire said, looking toward the boys dormitories where James was currently sulking, "Oh and Fred. Before I completely forget, do you happen to have any Gryffindor stuff you don't wear anymore? A scarf or a jacket or something?"

"Yeah, I have one of my old quidditch jackets from second year in my trunk. Why do you want it?"

"Oh, just for a sewing project. Decorative stuff, you wouldn't understand."

"No I wouldn't, I'll go grab it for you, I'll be right back."

Fred walked off toward the staircase leading towards the boys rooms. Victoire patted Roxanne on the knee as she stood to mingle through the rest of the common room.

All the new first years had already been sent to bed by the prefects. Most likely they were all fast asleep after such an eventful day. That left the common room free for the returning students to spend the next few hours catching up with classmates after the summer break.

Rose was sitting squished between two 6th years on the quidditch team, chatting her head off about all of her 'adventures' from the summer. Victoire rolled her eyes as Rose told the story of how Uncle Ron had brought the children on a trip to find a giant and domesticate it. The only trip close to the outlandish details of Rose's story would be when the Pweasley children had spent a weekend helping Hagrid clean up the grounds after end of term celebrations while Uncle Harry met with some old friends at the school. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione would never take their children on such fantastic adventures, their adventure days ended when they were young. The closest Pweasley's came to action is when their parents decided to get nostalgic about their Hogwarts days and tell them tales of how they fought in the Second Wizarding War. Everyone knew that Harry Potter and his friends were done with danger and adventure. But for some reason Victoire's classmates were always easily fooled when it came to the tall tales told by the offspring of the Heros of Hogwarts.

Fred returned from his room and approached Victoire, draping his old hoodie across her shoulder.

"Here you go, Tor," he said.

"Thanks! This is perfect."

Fred walked off to join the others. In the chaos and the crowd, it was easy for Victoire to slip back out the entrance to hand over her find to Scorpius who was still waiting out in the corridor.


End file.
